What if
by La Flour Du Ceil
Summary: This story was supposed to be a oneshot but i had too much fun writing it. What if there was help that day Scar killed Mufasa, what if someone had seen him fall into the gorge?
1. Chapter 1

Lion King What If

Inspire by this drawing that I found one day when I got bored and wrote this.

noweia/art/Vets-to-the-rescue-64860049

I was on a lab safari in Africa for my college zoology class. Myself and three other students were surveying a herd of wildebeests noting behaviors and counting how many pregnant cows we could find. The calving season would start soon so the babies would be arriving soon. Which I was very much looking forward to seeing, as well as the other classmates.

It was getting closer to three o'clock when we were to switch groups and head back to base camp to refresh our water and get some food. I started to pack my notes, and camera when I noticed some of the wildebeests start to get frigidity. I had grown up around cattle and recognized the starting of a stamped.

"Stamped," I yelled out. Not two seconds later the whole herd started running in our groups direction. We were able to move out of the way of the herd, but my notes and pens weren't so lucky. While everyone else rushed to behind some rocks and the groups Jeep I saw a perfect time to film the stamped. I laid down on my stomach pulling out my camera from my pocket. Taking a few photos before switching it to video. Filming the stamped that was just barely five feet from my face.

I barely heard the voices of my classmates and teacher calling my name through the thundering of hooves. I continued filming on my stomach, as the herd was nearing it's last members I noticed what had spooked the wildebeest. A group of three hyenas were chasing the beasts. One female and two males snapping their jaws at them but not biting.

'Weird,' I thought and focused my camera on the hyenas.

"They aren't even hunting," I said out loud to the camera though my voice was muffled by the fading out Hoffman stomps, "If I didn't know better it looks like they are herding them."

I laid perfectly still as the herd ended and as one of the hyenas ran over my back. The wildebeest ran into a near by gorge and the hyenas stopped chasing them. They hadn't noticed my group or my self even though one of them had ran me over and I was pretty positive I had paw tracks on my yellow jacket and my back pack. That or they hadn't cared about us cause they left the area.

I rolled onto my back staring up as the dust rolled by. I coughed as the dust powdered onto my face and body, then I started laughing at my close encounter with death five seconds ago.

'My mom is so going to kill me when I get home' I laughed in my head.

"Did you see that," I yelled to the others sitting up, "Did you all see that?"

"Did you get it," one of my friends Nicky called back as she ran up to me, "If it ain't on camera it didn't happen."

"Hell yeah I got it," I called back holding up my camera, "Hey professor can I get extra credit for this?"

We both started cheering and laughing, "Girl you are bloody crazy!"

"Child do you have a death wish," one of the other students said to me as we walked back to the Jeep.

"I have no idea but that was one Hell of a rush. I'm still shaking."

"You're shaking," Nicky said punching my arm, "I'm pretty sure you gave our professor a heart attack."

"Very nearly," our professor called out. His hand over his heart and was taking deep breaths. I chuckles a little before turning back to my friend.

"Did you see those hyenas back there," I asked.

"Yeah why?"

"Weren't they acting strange to you?"

"No they were hunting. Weren't they?"

"That's it they weren't," I said showing her the photos and video I took of the hyenas, "That's not a normal hunting pattern. You can see almost three times an easy pick arrived yet they didn't take any. They just kept herding them towards the gorge."

"And there is only three of them. If they had been hunting they would have separated a weaker one from the herd or gone after something smaller like a gazelle. These are way to big to be a three hyena job.

"Uh…you're right," Nicky said watching the film, "Lets bring this back to camp maybe someone else can explain what's going on with these guys."

We started to get ready to leave when I heard a loud roar echo out of the gorge. I recognized it as a lions roar. Ignoring the protests from my teacher I went to the edge of the gorge and saw a large male lion fall into the stampede. Dust clouded my vision but I saw him land on a tree breaking the tree. I gasped at the sight then started to climb down the gorge.

"Michelle what the Hell are you doing," Nicky and half my group yelled.

"I'm getting a closer look," I called back close to being halfway down. I had found a smoothed out path from the stampede so I was mostly sliding down the gorge dragging a big rock with me as a way of controlling my speed without cutting up my hand.

"Are you crazy," Nicky yelled.

I made it to the bottom yelling back to her before running after where I saw the lion fall, "You bet your sweet ass I am!"

The dust was beginning to settle down as I made my way through the gorge. It was eerily quite and my soft steps didn't help the feeling, as the dust settled more I had a better view of the area. Looking around around I saw a broken tree with a dark mass lying next to it. Taking a closer look I saw it was the lion I had seen fall earlier.

Husling to his side I checked over the lions body. He had cuts and bruises all over his body. His tail was bent at a near 90 degree angle, and I was sure his back leg was broken. I sighed deeply as I kneeled to the great beast. I felt his chest and back. Three broken ribs and a broken spinal bone. I doubted he would still be alive after all that but I wanted to be sure. Taking off my back pack that now had a dirt paw print on it, I took out the medic pack my mom had packed for me before I left for Africa. It was like a smaller trauma kit complete with a stethoscope, anti-bacteria wipes, small bottle of rubbing alcohol, gloves, surgical scissors, needle with thread, a scapula, morphine needle, and a travel bottle of Tylenol.

"Thank you mom," I said as I took out the stethoscope listening to the lions chest silently hoping to hear a heart beat. After what felt like an eternity slowed to a crawl I heard the thump of a heart beat, a moment later another and another. I then checked his breathing, it was faint but showed no signs of a punctured lung, or any internal bleeding. I felt along his body noting that he had several fractured and broken bones but other than that no life threading injuries that couldn't be fixed.

"You are one lucky cat my friend," I said, "Though I think you used one or two of your nine lives in the process. But your luck has not yet run out. I should be able to help you. I hope."

I quickly got to work categorizing what I needed for each wound and what wounds I could treat now and what needed to be treated at base camp. Pulling out my radio I called our base camp for back up, "Michelle to base camp do you copy?"

"Base camp to Michelle we copy you," the radio squealed out.

"Base camp I've got an injured male lion a hundred kliks from your location. Injuries include several broken bones, cuts, and bruises all over the body. I have a small trauma kit and will do what I can but there are more injuries that I can't see and tend."

"We are sending a med team to your area now are there any others injured?"

"No others found."

"Alright med team ETA 10 minutes."

"Roger that over and out."

I set the radio down next to me and started working to clean the larger bleeding cuts on the lions body. Cutting the fur around the wounds that are deeper and will need stitches. I was sterilizing my needles when Nicky appeared.

"Wow," she said looking over the lion, "Is he still alive."

"Yes but very weak," I said stitching the wound, "I called the camp for back up. ETA is ten minutes. He has a few broken bones. I can set he leg and tail but the others I'm not sure were the other damage is."

"What can I do," she asked.

I opened my mouth to tell her what I needed her to do we both heard growls and barks several feet behind us. I looked to were the growls were coming from to see three hyenas chasing a small lion cub. Seeing the little cub running for his life I was over come with the need to protect him. I quickly grabbed a large rock that was next to me, as well as a large bag of Anguis Teriyaki Beef Jerky, that I had packed for a return-to-camp snack, sprinting after the animals ripping open the bag of jerky as I ran.

The lion cub ran into a small crack in the canyon wall. Escaping the hyenas but also trapping himself. I took that moment as my chance to act, I throw the rock I had at the lead hyena smacking her in the hindquarters. This caused all of them to turn and face me. I grabbed a few pieces of jerky throwing it towards them. They sniffed the jerky before devouring all of it. I got their attention now all I needed was to get it away from this area. Shaking the bag to show them more food before I chucked the bag as hard and as far as I could away from the area. Which was able to fly a good distance before the hyenas pounced of the bag tearing it open and began devouring the contents of the bag.

I dashed to the crack that the cub was stuck in. He wasn't too stuck that I couldn't get him out just enough that he couldn't get out by himself. I grabbed his scruff gently pulling him out of the crack, holding him to my chest. I slowly walked away from the area keeping an eye on the hyenas as I stepped back. I kept the small lion close to my chest making sure he wouldn't make a noise that would inform the hyenas of our near escape. When I was far enough away from them I booked it way from them. I was running back wards wanting to keep an eye on the animals. This worked till I tripped over my back pack falling onto my back and sliding a bit.

"Ow," I grunted out then looked down at the small cub pressed against my chest, "How you doing little buddy?"

The cub mewed at me trying to get out of my hold. I chuckled at him seeing that he wasn't majorly hurt. Unlike my back which I was positive now had several scrapes between the straps of my tan tank top.

"Where did the cub come from," Nicky asked while she was setting the lions leg in a splint.

"You did see me run after three hyenas with a bag of jerky right,"I said standing up, "He's why also why didn't you try to stop me."

"You didn't listen when you went after the lion so I didn't bother, also you seemed to have had a plan."

I was about to retort when the med team arrived taking over the care of our lion friend as well as looking after the cub. Our group also caught up and I got a major chewing from my professor for running off from the group then feeding wild animals which lasted all the way back to our camp. I took the chewing with hidden pride even when my professor called my mom on our satellite phone who then gave me another chewing out before praising me for getting the video of the stampede. Fair to say my ears were burning by dinner time. At dinner several of our native guides surrounded me praising my rescue of a lion cub, the biggest male they had ever seen, and surviving a wildebeest stamped. Several of my classmates joined them. Nicky also got many prairies as well though she enjoyed the attention while I was getting a little overwhelmed by the whole thing. I spent most of my meal listening to the praises, and even a song my music loving friend Jet wrote. Which I'm glad for, because his singing did distracted everyone long enough for me to sneak out of the mess tent and over to the medical tent where out lion friends were being tented to.

"Yeah doc how's our damsels doing," I called out as I entered the tent. The teams doctor was looking over the adult male writing down on a clipboard. The male was laying on one of the cots wounds bandaged broken bones casted, and hooked up to machines showing his heart rate and breathing. The lion cub was tied to a cot across from the males, mewing and pulling at the rope.

"Our male friend is doing well despite the height he fell by some miracle and yours and Nicky's quick action," she said pointing to the lion with her pen then pointing to the lion cub, "This little guy had a few scrapes and is other wise fine but won't let anyone touch him and is trying like Hell to get to the big guy."

"He must be his cub," I said walking over to the cub. I squatted to his eye level, "Hey there little guy."

The cub growled and hissed at me which I just smiled at, "I know your scared and want your daddy but he needs his rest. You are very brave though."

"Are you hungry you have had an eventful day," I said grabbing a near by bottle of untouched milk, "Here it's fresh from the village cattle near by."

I held the bottle to him but the cub just looked at his father with sadness in his eyes. I then picked him up untying the rope from the cot carrying him to the cot next to the lion. The cub mewed louder squirming in my arm, "Hold still little one. Your papa is hurt badly and you can't cuddle with him yet till his bones heal a bit more."

I moved closer to the males head so the cub could nuzzle his fathers snout. The male even nuzzled him back though he was still unconscious. I looked over at smiling ear to ear. She smile back at me. "See little guy your papa will be alright. Now lets get some dinner in that belly."

We sat back down and this time when I held the bottle close to the cub he drank from the bottle happily. He drank the whole bottle after which I took a warm washcloth wiping off his muzzle as well as cleaning his fur in a pattern which a cat would clean a cub. "Licking" his head, chest, back, belly helping his digestion.

"You are the first person that cub would let anyone near him," said.

"I just have a gift with these type of things," I smile setting the cub down on the cot. He curled up next to me and fell asleep with his head on my lap, "And now I'm stuck her."

The good doctor chuckled at me before leaving the area to a connecting smaller tent acting as our storage closet with crates and foot lockers full of supplies. I laced down on the cot getting comfortable as the little cub curled on my chest. I smiled at the cub knowing the day this guy had a good cuddle and nap would do him good. After awhile I fell asleep too.

Three weeks past since the stampede and our lion was healing well and was named Mufasa by Nicky after learning it meant king in Swahili. Several of our classmates wanted to call the cub

Prince but not all of us agreed. My little nickname for him was Simba, which meant lion. This soon caught on with the others that the name stuck.

After five weeks Mufasa was healed enough to go back to the wild with his son. We set them free a few miles away from the gorge I found them at so they would be able to find their way back to their pride. I was happy that they were able to return to their home but I would miss little Simba. Soon after they were released we were backing up camp and heading back home. The last night we had a fair well party with our guides in the mess tent. I had stepped outside for some air and one last look at the African sky. While I was walking around enjoying the night air I heard a strange rattle. I nearly jumped out of my skin thinking it was a rattlesnake but I then remembered that they didn't live in Africa. I looked around and saw a baboon with a long stick with several gords tied to the top of it.

The baboon held himself like a shawmen. He walked up to me looking me over. Shocked and not really sure what to do I kneeled before the shawmen baboon. He smiled at me rattling his staff over my head then held out a closed hand to me. I held out my hand which I then reserved a lions claw and fang. I looked back up at the baboon. He nodded at me then ran off towards a large lion that I hadn't seen before. After a second I recognized that the lion was Mufasa. I smiled at the lion before bowing my head to him, and I swear he bowed back before running off into the night with the baboon behind him. The next morning when we left for the airport we heard several lion roars as we drove from camp.


	2. Part 2

In another part of the savanna Scar waits to hear from the hyenas against the canyon wall till two Jeeps come closer to where he is with two men carrying rifles loaded with horse tranquilizer in case of predators or animal attacks. The jeeps are loaded with humans riding into the gorge to were Mufasa had fallen. Not wanting to be anywhere near the humans Scar runs out of the gorge away from them and goes to where he had thrown his brother in to the stampeding wildebeests to observe the humans.

He watched two human girls sitting next to his brothers body. One of the girls taking things out of her back before using some of them on the fallen king.

'This will work perfectly,' Scar wickedly chuckled to himself, 'The humans will take what ever they want from the body and maybe even the whole thing.'

Scar leaves the gorge heading back to the Elephant Graveyard to meet Shenzi, Ed, and Banzi. Meanwhile in the gorge Michelle saves Simba from the three hyenas by feeding them some beef jerky she had brought as a snack. The three hyenas tour into the bag of dried meat devouring every last piece, before turning back to the girl to finish the job. But more humans showed up out numbering the three hyenas. Michelle carried Simba into the Jeep then driving out of the gorge in a cloud of dust.

The trio make their way back to their hideout to meet Scar and inform him about what happened, "Some human female took the cub before we could finish the job."

"I believe this will work perfectly," Scar chuckled, "Any animal that a human comes in contact with are hardly ever seen again."

"But the cubs still alive," Shenzi questioned, "Isn't there a chance he will come back."

"Most likely not," Scar answered, "He will taken out of the Pride Lands to never been seen again and who knows he will either be kept as a pet or for his pelt. Get the others we must inform the pride of this terrible lost."

The hyenas chuckle maniacally as they fallow Scar out of the grave yard.

In the gorge Zazu comes too and starts frantically looking for Simba and Mufasa flying around the gorge. He flys to the tree that he had last seen Simba clinging to the branch for his life. The tree was broken in half with nothing in sight except for a dirt covered back pack. Zazu sits on the tree as a human male walks from a silver Jeep grabbing the bag calling to another male in the Jeep.

"I found Michelle's bag, radio her and let her know."

"Can't believe she left her bag," the man in the Jeep said reaching for a radio.

"She rescued a lion cub and found a wounded male lion I think her bag was the last thing on her mind till the little guy was safe."

"True. She is going to get one hell of a chewing out by her teacher."

"I don't think she will mind."

Zazu listened to the males talking about a large male lion and a lion cub which must have be the king and young prince. Zazu fallowed the humans hoping that he was right. The humans drove to a large group of tents in a circle with humans walking around the tents. Outside a large white tent with a red symbol above the flaps an older man was yelling at a younger female. Curious is this was the 'Michelle' the two men had talked about earlier Zazu flew to the tent landing on the ground near the front of the tent watching the two humans. The older male was yelling at the younger female but the female showed no signs of fear holding herself with pride.

"You can't just go wondering off by yourself,"the male scolded, "This isn't one of your mountain hikes back home Michelle! Not to mention feeding wild animals disregarding your teacher, running into a canyon after a lion, chancing hyenas. I am going to have to doc you points for your action."

"I understand sir," the women responded.

"You will be dropping a letter grade because of it."

The women stiffened but did not falter in her resolve, "It will have been well worth it. I do not regret any of my actions sir. I accept my actions and understand the repercussions of them."

"Good now go have those scrapes on your back looked at."

With that the women walked into the tent. Zazu quickly hoped in as the flap opened with out any of the humans noticing. There were other humans in the tent as well as different machines and cots on either end of the tent. Some humans were laying on the cots while humans in white coats looked over them. On one cot there was another women with short brown hair facing away from the entrance with a male in a white coat stood in front of her.

"How'd the chewing out go,"Nicky asked Michelle.

"Well I had a C in the class which will soon be turned into a D,"Michelle said flopping face first on the cot next to her. Zazu hide under the cots listening to the two human females conversation.

"Harsh," Nicky said back, "Was it worth it though."

"I wouldn't have done anything different and you know it," she replied as a medic started cleaning the cuts on Michelle's back. Which stung and Michelle started squirming, "Maybe running backwards ahh-haha."

"So this guy wasn't worth it," Nicky chuckled turning to face Michelle holding a sleeping Simba in her arms with one of his paws covered in a strange paste.

"He was very much worth the pain," Michelle said petting the lion cub, "I could look worse since I saved this little guy from hyenas with only a bag of beef jerky and a rock I throw at them to get their attention."

While the two were talking Zazu watched the young prince sleep in Nicky's arms. At the far end of the tent a doctor walked out from behind a divider where several other doctors were working on the large male lion. Setting any broken bones back into place, cleaning cuts, and giving medicine for the pain as well as to fight off infections.

"What's the diagnose doc," Michelle asked one of the medics that had walked out from behind the divider.

"They are almost done treating the last of the males wounds. The only major injury this little guy had was a bruised swollen paw which we put some medicine on to reduce swelling and pain. Though we did knock him out to keep him from licking the cream off before it can do it's job also to keep him from bitting us. Again."

"He is a very feisty cub when he wants to be," Nicky said, "It's really cute though."

"Is that why your hand is bandaged," Michelle pointed to the hand that was behind the cub.

"Yeah he got me with his claws," Nicky chuckled. While the humans talked Zazu moved down the line of cots till he got to the divider sheet. Using his wing Zazu moved the sheet aside enough for him to get past it. On the other side he saw Mufasa lying on a metal table with four other humans around him and several machines and tubes hooked up to the great king. He also saw two one of the humans were wrapping milk white strips of clothes dripping in a white paste around an injured leg.

Michelle then walked into the room, "Hey docs."

"Hello Michelle how's your back," a doctor named Ruth Rosery who had just finished bandaging Mufasa's front paws.

"Sore but no worse for wear," Michelle replied walking over to stand next to Dr. Rosery, "How's our lion king doing?"

"Amazingly still alive after that fall, and getting hit by what I can guess to be three wildebeests," said looking over a clipboard with notes of the lions injuries, before handing the clipboard to Michelle. She read over the notes quickly becoming a little puzzled at one of the injuries listed.

"Claw marks on front paws? Wonder how he could have gotten those I didn't see any other lions and the marks are too big to be our little cub."

"That is what we have been wondering to they match a full grown lion, and looks like he was latched onto then thrown off."

While the two talked Zazu snuck out of the medic tent a sudden realization coming to him. He had not seen Scar since the stampede, as he thought more on the events that occurred he remembered something hitting him from behind just as he was about to fly off and get help. He peeked in one last time to check on Simba who was now playing with a long wire that Nicky was holding jolting it up and down making the wire move while Simba pounced and clawed at the wire. Feeling that both the king and prince were safe he took off back towards Pride Rock. He had to tell Sarabi what had happened and confront Scar in front of the pride.

To be continued...


	3. Part 3

Chapter 3

I have been grounded to the camp for three days now. All of my family have been calling me almost none stop. Mom has been giving me a three day long chewing out between praising me. Other than the calls from my family I didn't really have a lot to do around the camp. So I would spend my time in the medic tent looking after the little lion cub we all have dubbed Simba. His father who we have started calling Mufasa which seemed fitting.

"How's your ears," Nicky asked as I walked into the med tent. She was sitting on one of the far cots with Simba in her lap feeding him milk from a bottle.

"Sore, little bleeding, and ringing," I answered, "Uncle Earl said he'll send more jerky for me. Mom says hi by the way. How is our little guy doing?"

"Hungry," Nicky chuckled as Simba almost pulled the bottle out of her hand.

"Want to switch," I giggled sitting next to her. She gentle pulled the nipple out of the cub's mouth handed it to me. Simba followed the food crawling over Nicky's lap into mine trying to pull my hand and bottle back to him.

"Someone is very hungry," I chuckled giving him the nipple. He started greedily drinking the milk, "Woah easy little buddy don't want to get a tummy ache."

I moved the bottle closer to him and decreased the angle of the bottle encouraging him to take his time drinking. He slowed down then purring as he ate. At some point Nicky got up and left the tent leaving me alone with Simba. After he finished his bottle I wiped his mouth and face with a warm wet cloth, "There a fully belly and a clean face."

He meowed at me then began wondering around the cot. He wondered around before growing bored and wanting to seek out a new adventure. I was washing the bottle when I noticed him jumping off the cot landed with a thud before trotting of to the entrance of the tent. Dropping the bottle, I rushed over to him swooping him up in my arms.

"Woah whoa whoa! Little buddy. This isn't like your pride there are a lot of big things out there that could squish you."

I carried him back to the cot setting him down. I grabbed a nearby rope tying it around the little cub in a makeshift harness and leash, "You can't be wondering off without an escort my little prince of lions."

He gave me a 'are you serious look' before angrily pawing at my end of the rope. I chuckled at him picking him up and carrying him out of the tent. At the entrance of the tent I set him down. He was still mad at the leash before he noticed we were outside.

"If it makes you feel better I'll let you lead," not a moment later the little guy was trotting through the camp dragging me along. We wondered around the camp saying hi to anyone we passed by, had to explore the camp Jeeps, see what they were cooking in the mess hall, and playing around with the local village's live stock. That adventure ended with Simba losing a fight with one of the roosters and hiding behind me.

Around noon Simba and I found a nice spot under a tree to take a little nap. Like my cat back home the little lion had to sleep at the center of my chest. So I was under a tree with a ball of yellow fur on my chest. Which other than a pebble digging into my back, was very comfortable.

It was getting close to dinner when we made our way back to the med tent. Arriving inside the tent we discovered two new patients for . A meerkat and a warthog, both had I.V tubes in their right forelegs while the doctors look over them.

"Who are the new guys," I asked setting Simba on a cot while I prepared his dinner.

"Two more rescues from the grog," said giving the warthog an injection of medicine, "Though these guys are just suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion. They'll be fine in a few hours."

"Poor little guys," I said as I started feeding Simba, "Well little buddy looks like we have some new play buddies."

Things where quite after dinner and introduction to the new rescues. After I ate I went back to the tent to see how Mufasa was doing. He was recovering well; he was asleep most of the time. In corner of the tent we set up an area of three cots placed together with some blankets as a recovery area for the big lion. Simba wasn't able to spend too much time with his father so he could rest, also so Simba would be crawling and climbing on the still recovering wounds.

We were told that night after dinner that a few more parties were joining us at base camp. A hunting group and the local poacher patrol would be stopping by for a few days. It was also announced that we had to be on the lookout for a male lion that had been attacking local farms and the smaller camps.

* * *

News of the king's and young prince's incident with the herd of wildebeests traveled fast across the pride lands. Scar had announced the news that day claiming that the king and prince were dead till Zazu flew in shouting that the two were indeed alive and being cared for by a human group. He told the pride everything he had seen and heard.

He told of how a young female had ran into the gorge after the stampede aid the king in his injured state. Simba was being chased by hyenas and the girl jumped to his rescue distracting the scavenges before swiping up Simba and running away. More humans came taking the king and prince to their camp to treat their injuries. He told them about Mufasa's then in front of everyone he accused Scar of attempting to murder his brother and nephew. Scar tried to defend himself to the lionesses but was no use. It was too clear that Scar had done it. Sarabi was the first to pounce on the male roaring 'traitor'. The others soon joined the attack clawing and biting at the male. Scar was barely able to escape the enraged females running away from Pride Rock never to return.

Scar enraged that his plans to become king had failed sought out the human who had ruined everything. He began hunting any human he found attacking farms and camp sites looking for the female determined to taste her blood if it was the last thing he did.

To be continued


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The other parties joined up with us setting up their tents adding on to the kitchen tent, medic tent, as well as our supplies. When they arrived Nickie, and myself went to see the new guys. Simba tagging along for his daily exercise, fallowing me at my heels. We came to the center of the camp where one of the parties had arrived and were unloading their trucks.

"Which ones were these guys again," I asked Nickie watching them unload duffle bags, crates, and several gun bags. Simba started chewing on the rope I had tied around him like a harness before switching to attack my left pant leg.

"I believe Prof said they were trophy hunters helping with the incline in the local hyena population as well as that rouge lion that has been attacking people," Nickie said.

"Trophy predator hunters, let me guess either a rich guy on holiday or professional hunters hired for the job," I chuckled picking up Simba who was now trying to eat my pant leg, and my boot lace. Nickie giggled a little before we heard the professor calling her over to one of the camps jeeps.

"Watching the wildebeests again," I asked setting Simba back on the ground.

"That and scouting for cheetahs and lions."

"Cool I'll see you when you get back."

Nickie and I went our separate ways going to the jeeps while Simba and I continued our walk.

It was late afternoon; the blazing sun had reached its highest point. I was sweating up a storm with Simba panting next to me as we walked to a grove of trees near the camp. That provided a nice amount of shade from the afternoon sun. Simba and I made our way to the shade deciding a nap was in order. I laid against the one of the tree trunks while Simba flopped down on my leg with a loud sigh. Not long after we had laid down in the shade we fell asleep, Simba as soon as he flopped on my leg.

I don't know how long we had been asleep for when I woke up, Simba was now laying against both my legs on his back one paw stretched in the air. I smiled down at the cub, then an eerie feeling creeped up by back. Like I was being watched. Instinctively I reached for the hunting knife my mom had insisted I take with me, that I kept in my boots. I scanned the area, seeing just the empty grass land till I saw movement out the corner of my left eye. The grass had parted some then stopped, something was stalking us.

With slow movements I wrapped my arm around Simba holding him close to me chest as I slowly got to my feet. I didn't know what was hunting us or how many but I had to get Simba to safety then call for back up. Stepping against one of the tree roots I lifted him up into the tree onto a low hanging branch.

"Stay up there little buddy I'm coming up next," I whispered to him grabbing onto the branch. Then I heard the faint sounds of the grass moving and something running. My heart stopped as I looked to see a male lion with a black mane charging at me. I was still in shock when he pounced at me but thankfully my foot slipped on the root causing me to fall and completely avoid the attacking lion. I fell onto my back and quickly rolled back onto my feet unsheathing the hunting knife of my belt. Holding out in front of me in a defensive stance. The lion had landed a few feet from me and was now circling me. Not taking my eyes off him I followed his movements before reaching for my radio. The lion growled swiping his razor claws at me nearly shredding my arm and chest. I screamed in pain as I jumped back just managing to avoid major damage but he still drew blood on my left arm and side.

Blood tripped down my arm as I kept avoiding the lions attaches. I dodged another swipe but lost my footing falling on my side. He advised towards me ready for the kill. I kicked him in the face crawling backwards trying to get back to my feet till the lion bite down on my ankle. I screamed in pain I felt his teeth on my bones and the muscles tearing as he shook his head back and forth. Reacting to the pain I blindly stabbed into his mane trying to get at his neck.

I managed to hit something because he roared in pain releasing my leg. With my good leg I round housed him. My radio was just a few feet away just out of my reach. I reached for the radio as I felt the lion dig its claws into my back. My cats have scratched me before, their claws stung like Hell, but this was worse. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed the radio hitting the emergency call button on its side. All the camp radios had an emergency button that would signal which radio was calling, turning on so you wouldn't have to hold the button down to talk.

The lion then bites down on my left shoulder ripping into the muscle hitting bone. I screamed in pain as he ripped into my shoulder. Luckily he bit my left instead of my right, since my knife was in my right hand. I swing back stabbing into the lion several times till he let go of my shoulder. Still wildly stabbing I rolled onto my back slashing at him as I did.

Pain rushed through my system as I moved and blood lose from my wounds started to affect the edges of my senses. Everything was starting to get fuzzy. But I refused to stop fighting. I stabbed the lion hearing a pained roar then a loud echoing pop before everything went black. Everything around me was hazy and muffled. I couldn't move but I still felt the pain from my wounds. I heard muffled voices and a weak lion roar.

"Hurry! I think she's still alive!"

A bright light blinded me and everything became clear again. I could move and it hurt more than ever. My eyes adjusted to the light making out three figures standing over me.

"Call the camps we need medical assistance right away!"

Everything was so bright it burned. I felt something wet on my shoulder weakly looking over I saw Simba licking my wounded shoulder before he was lifted out of my sight and my vison going black again.

I don't know how long I was out, but when I woke up I was lying on a cot in the med tent. My wounds bandaged, an IV drip in my left arm, and a small lion cub laying on my chest. I looked around the tent, it was pretty empty besides a few of my other class mates recovering from the heat by the looks of it. Nickie then came into the tent rushing to me side nearly jumping onto my cot.

"Michelle thank goodness your awake! You scared the Ever-Loving-Hell out of me."

"Hey Nickie," I weakly chuckled, "How long was I out?"

"Almost two days. You gave all of us quiet the scare when you brought back to camp all bloody and passed out."

"What happened?"

"You don't remember," she asked sitting next to me on the cot.

"A little, but it's all hazy. I was walking with Simba…there was another lion…"

"Take it easy girl," Nickie said rubbing my good shoulder, "You lost a lot of blood and got some serious muscle damage."

"You were lucky to have gotten to us," Dr. Rosery came up behind Nickie, "Luckily no broken bones, but you shoulder and leg muscles were pretty torn up. We were able to patch you up but it will take a while for your muscles to fully heal."

I nodded to her looking down at little Simba asleep on my chest. Nickie rested her hand on his back smiling, "Don't worry you protected this little guy from getting harmed. Though after doc patched you up he refused to leave your side."

I smiled at her before I fell back asleep. I woke up the next day to all of my class around my cot all giving me well wishes and a get well card all of the camp had signed. A while later my teach came in telling me he had called my parents letting them know what happened then handed me the satellite phone where I spent close to an hour telling my mom I was fine. Dad's army knife fighting had come in very handy. After mom calmed down we talked for a while before she passed me off to my sister who started making jokes about me being Cat women. Funny as it was it hurt a little to cause my laugh made my shoulder shake.

Nickie had taken over taking care of Simba while I was recovering. She would feed him, take him on walks, and give him baths. He wasn't as well behaved as he was with me and was a little depressed. But would cheer up after a walk and playing with the warthog and meerkat that had become the camps mascots. We started calling the meerkat Timon and the warthog Pumba. The two hardly left each other's side and would play aground with Simba the meerkat even bringing Simba bugs and small lizards to eat as snacks between his meals. Though at night Simba would come to my cot and sleep on my chest.

Dr. Rosery had me on bed rest for about a week and half before she allowed me even walk around on my own. The good thing was by this time Mufasa was able to put a little weight on his leg but couldn't walk around a lot. So the two of us became recovery buddies. On the second week of my recovery I met the hunter who had saved my life. His name was Herc an extremely buff, professional hunter who had been hired by the locals to deal with the high hyena population and look for the lion that had been attacking people. Which conveniently was the one that had been attacking me. He was heading back from scouting a good hunting spot to come back at night when he heard my screams and saw the lion on top of me. He told me that I was pretty close to killing the big cat myself with my knife. Two more stabs to the chest and he would have been dead. Herc's shot just finished the job faster and was also why he then held out the lion's skull to me.

"I gave the meat to the village, he said hold the skull out to me, "I hope you don't mind if I keep the pelt."

I took the skull admiring the teeth, "Can I have the claws?"

He then pulled out a small pouch with the lion's claws in it, "I made sure to save all of them. Your friend Nickie said you would like them. I gave the rest of the bones to your teacher. Is that alright?"

"That's perfect. And thanks for saving my life."

"Happy to help," he smiled. We talked for a while longer before he left to continue hunting.

To be continued...


End file.
